The government has proposed contacting television programmes which feature cooking spots with a view to dedicating certain cooking spots to cooking with leftovers.

This is one of a myriad of proposals found in the government waste management plan for 2014-2020, launched today by environment minister Leo Brincat.

Mr Brincat said that according to NSO statistics, 22% of the food purchased in Malta is being thrown away. This means that for every five euro spent on food, one euro is wasted, he said.

The aim is to reduce food waste from its present level to at least 15%. This will be done though various education initiatives.

Another proposal is the presence of authorised personnel to be available at supermarkets to advise customers on their consumption patterns and to promote the wise purchase of food.

Mr Brincat said that there will be no new taxes on waste. He said taxes may actually encourage the illegal disposal of waste and end up being regressive.

The minister said that there are no plans to enlarge the Sant Antnin waste treatment plant. The use of engineered landfills cannot be completely eliminated, he said, and the Ghallis landfill has five more years of use in it before reaching saturation point.